Bringing laughter to the stage

Musical opens at ERHS tonight

Mason Bennett, right, and Gini Collins act out a scene from “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” which opens tonight (Nov. 1) at Eagle River High.

The musical “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” is outrageous, chaotic, but above all else — hilarious.

That’s why the show is just as entertaining for the actors as the audience, said Zach Foster, who plays a slave, Hysterium.

“The characters that we portray are the opposite of anything we’ve ever imagined,” he said. “The characters are far from normal.”

The play opens today (Thursday, Nov. 1) at Eagle River High at 7 p.m. and runs through Saturday, Nov. 3. General admission tickets cost $10 while students, seniors and military are $7.

Set in ancient Rome, the musical follows main character Pseudolus, a slave who’s master, Hero, enlists his help to win the heart of a young woman, Philia. In return, Hero will grant Pseudolus his freedom.

But wooing Philia doesn’t come that easily.

“One plan for romance turns into complete chaos,” Foster said.

With everything from a frantic slave, to a buff Roman general, to the stereotypically dumb blonde, the show’s eclectic characters offer plenty of entertainment, said Tom Ramage, who plays Pseudolus.

“We’re really having a fun time on stage,” he said.

Ramage said he couldn’t ask for a better group of actors to work with.

“We have an amazing cast,” he said. “It’s been awesome working with them the last two months.”

The musical offers several plot twists, Foster said.

“It’s a very entertaining show,” he said.

More than anything, “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” is full of amusement, Foster said.

“The audience better be ready to laugh,” he said.

Contact Mike Nesper at 694-2727 or mike.nesper@alaskastar.com.

This page requires javascript. It seems that your browser does not have Javascript enabled. Please enable Javascript and press the Reload/Refresh button on your browser.